安徒生童话赏析:皇帝的新装

发表于 讨论求助 2023-05-10 14:56:27


上次我们赏析了安徒生童话中《丑小鸭》的故事,今天我们再来看一看另一篇家喻户晓的童话故事,THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES,皇帝的新装。


和《丑小鸭》的故事一样,《皇帝的新装》也是丹麦著名童话作家安徒生的代表作之一。这篇童话通过一个愚蠢的皇帝被两个骗子愚弄,穿上了一件看不见的,实际上根本不存在的新装,赤裸裸地举行游行大典的丑剧,深刻地揭露了皇帝昏庸及大小官吏虚伪、奸诈、愚蠢的丑恶本质。褒扬了无私无畏、敢于揭假的天真烂漫的童心。这篇故事写于1837年,这时安徒生只有32岁,也就是他开始创作童话后的第三年(他30岁时才开始写童话)。


故事中有奢侈而昏庸的皇帝,虚伪而愚蠢的大臣,巧舌如簧的骗子和人云亦云的看客。对于他们的诸种表演,作者有浓墨重彩、绘声绘色的描述,却不见声嘶力竭、痛心疾首的诅咒;他的讽刺,并不是揭露性、批判性、带有明显痛感的讽刺,而是诙谐、幽默意义上轻松的讽刺。他嘲笑皇帝的愚蠢、大臣的馅媚、看客的人云亦云,但是,这种嘲笑不含敌意和轻蔑,却饱含善意和温情。对于所有出场的人和发生的事,他似乎是在欣赏,而不是在愤恨。其中的坏人、小人,甚至包括骗子,自始至终,谁也不曾受到任何惩罚。其讽刺意味幽默却并不辛辣,富有温情而绝非“无情”,更找不到充满道德优越感的训诫。 《皇帝的新装》表达了对于“成年人的印象”,是对“虚荣”背后的“自我深度的迷失”这一人类固有和共有的人性弱点的再现,是安徒生为我们提供的一面生活的镜子。


在安徒生的故事中,皇帝之所以要购买这件神奇的新衣,最主要的目的在于用更简便的方式来更加有效地治理国家,这与意识形态的功能极其类似。意识形态以一种扭曲的形式被创制出来,旨在维护统治阶级的利益。同样,当皇帝听到达件神奇的外衣时,第一个涌上心头的想法是利用它更好地治理国家。“穿上它,我就可以明确判断文武百官是否称职;更可轻易辨别智慧圣贤和愚人腐才。”虽然皇帝热恋新衣,但是他渴求这件衣服的最根本驱动力是用更简单的方式治理人民:轻而易举地享有最高权威却不必过度地为国操劳。意识形态的运转方式与之有着惊人的相似:“公民认为自己遵照上帝旨意而行事,实际上,他们遵从的是牧师和暴君。”换言之,就像安徒生童话里的骗子们一样,通过制造出一些“美丽的谎言”,国王可以牢牢控制他的臣民。正因如此皇帝才理所当然地决定:“我应该预订,让他们开始纺织布料”。


下面就让我们来欣赏一下THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES的精彩片断吧~

"I should like to know how the weavers are getting on with my cloth," said the

Emperor to himself, after some little time had elapsed; he was, however,

rather embarrassed, when he remembered that a simpleton, or one unfit for his

officer, would be unable to see the manufacture. To be sure, he thought he had

nothing to risk in his own person; but yet, he would prefer sending somebody

else, to bring him intelligence about the weavers, and their work, before he

troubled himself in the affair. All the people throughout the city had heard

of the wonderful property the cloth was to possess; and all were anxious to

learn how wise, or how ignorant, their neighbors might prove to be.


在这一段中主线还是运用了过去时态来描述一个故事。


weaver ['wivɚ] 是织工、织布者的意思,我们常常说的织布可以用weave这个词,例句:

Workers weave silk thread into beautiful shirts 。织工把丝线织成漂亮的衬衫。


get on with sth 是个固定搭配,表示 某事进展如何,elapse 表示时间过去,消逝,some little time had elapsed 这部分是使用了过去完成时态,表示在过去某个时间点已经完成的事情。


embarrassed在这里表示的是形容词尴尬的,he was embarrassed.当然embarrass 本身也可以表示成动词的意思,窘迫,不安。


simpleton ['sɪmp(ə)lt(ə)n]是个名词,表示傻子笨蛋。我们还可以用fool, idiot,stupid 来表示傻瓜的意思。


unfit 是个形容词,表示不合身的。在英语中,经常会在形容词本身的前面加上un,表示与原来相反的意思,例如uncomfortable, unreal ,unforgettable 都是这样的构词方式,只要我们明白了后面的形容词本身的意思,那整个单词的意思就迎刃而解了。


To be sure 又是个固定搭配,表示的确的意思。

To be sure, he thought he had nothing to risk in his own person 意思是他相信自己是用不着害怕的,

he would prefer sending somebody else, to bring him intelligence about the weavers ,这句话中would prefer 表示宁愿怎么样,更愿意做某事,后面要用doing 的形式。troubled himself in the affair, trouble in 是陷入麻烦的意思。


All the people throughout the city had heard of the wonderful property the cloth was to possess;这句话中有很多后置定语,throughout the city修饰All the people ,the cloth was to possess 修饰the wonderful property,be anxious to 是急切的意思,同样也是固定搭配,prove to be 固定搭配,结果是,证明为。


这段话比较长,出现的后置定语和从句很多,大家可以直接把定语拿掉,那么句子就简单的变为

All the people had heard of the wonderful property,这样就很容易理解了,对吧 ~


参考翻译:“我很想知道他们织布究竟织得怎样了,”皇帝想。不过,他立刻就想起了愚蠢的人或不称职的人是看不见这布的。他心里的确感到有些不大自在。他相信他自己是用不着害怕的。虽然如此,他还是觉得先派一个人去看看比较妥当。全城的人都听说过这种布料有一种奇异的力量,所以大家都很想趁这机会来测验一下,看看他们的邻人究竟有多笨,有多傻。

下面再来让我们看看大臣看皇帝换“新装”的片段吧~


The impostors requested him very courteously to be so good as to come

Nearer their looms; and then asked him whether the design pleased him, and

Whether the colors were very beautiful; at the same time pointing to the empty

frames. The poor old minister looked and looked, he could not discover anything on

the looms, for a very good reason, because there was nothing there.

"What!" thought he again. "Is it possible that I am a simpleton? I have never

thought so myself; and no one must know it now if I am so. Can it be, that I

am unfit for my office? No, that must not be said either. I will never confess

that I could not see the stuff."

impostor[ɪm'pɒstə是受骗者的意思。


courteously['kə:tiəsli]副词,有礼貌地,亲切地。


loom名词,织布机.frame 是架子的意思,在这里指的是织布机的空架子。


"What!"在这里不是我们平时问句里的什么的意思,而是作为一种感叹,可翻译成“天哪~”“我的老天爷啊”等这些感叹词,表示心情~


no one must know it now if I am so.这句话看似很复杂,有点拗口,不过一个词一个词看,就不会觉得难了,翻译的时候可以从if后面的部分开始翻译。如果我真的如此(愚笨),没有人有必要知道。


either ['iðɚ]这个词出现在No, that must not be said either 句子中,它是个conj. 表示也,专门用于否定句或否定词组后。


最后I will never confess that I could not see the stuff."又是个从句,由that来引导,我绝不会承认我什么也看不到。


参考翻译:

那两个骗子请求他走近一点,同时问他,布的花纹是不是很美丽,色彩是不是很漂亮。他们指着那两架空空的织机。 这位可怜的老大臣的眼睛越睁越大,可是他还是看不见什么东西,因为的确没有什么东西可看。 “我的老天爷!”他想。“难道我是一个愚蠢的人吗?我从来没有怀疑过我自己。我决不能让人知道这件事。难道我不称职吗?——不成;我决不能让人知道我看不见布料。”

最后我们再来看一下皇帝穿上“新装”后,周围大臣的反应吧~


How is this?" said the Emperor to himself. "I can see nothing! This is indeed a terrible affair! Am I a simpleton, or am I unfit to be an Emperor? That would be the worst thing that could happen--Oh! The cloth is champing," said he, aloud. "It has my complete approbation." And he smiled most graciously, and looked closely at the empty looms; for on no account would he say that he could not see what two of the officers of his court had praised so much. All his retinue now strained their eyes, hoping to discover something on the looms, but they could see no more than the others; nevertheless, they all exclaimed, "Oh, how beautiful!" and advised his majesty to have some new clothes made from this splendid material, for the approaching procession. "Magnificent! Champing! Excellent!" resounded on all sides; and everyone was uncommonly gay. The Emperor shared in the general satisfaction; and presented the impostors with the riband of an order of knighthood, to be worn in their button-holes, and the title of "Gentlemen Weavers."

indeed 是个形容词,表示确实,起强调作用,加强语气的。

approbation [,æprə'beɪʃ(ə)n] 赞许,认可。

It has my complete approbation。表示十二万分的满意。


for on no account would he say that he could not see what two of the officers of his court had praised so much.这句话很长,首先on no account,固定词组搭配,表示决不,what在这里又是引导的一个从句,所以我们要先看what后面的内容two of the officers of his court had praised so much,指的是两个大臣赞不绝口的东西,这样一分析,整个句子就很明朗了,翻译成,皇帝绝不会承认自己看不见大臣们赞不绝口的新衣。


retinue ['rɛtənu] 随行人员,no more than只是,仅仅。

approaching procession 游行大典,uncommonly gay 很高兴,很快乐。

riband 缎带,an order of knighthood 爵士的头衔,”Gentlemen Weavers" “御聘织师”。


参考翻译:

怎么会这样,皇帝对自己说,,我竟然什么也看不见。这是个很糟糕的事情,难道我很愚蠢,难道我是个不称职的皇帝,这将是最糟糕的事情~“啊,它真是美极了!”皇帝说。“我表示十二分地满意!” 于是他点头表示满意。他装做很仔细地看着织机的样子,因为他不愿意说出他看不见大臣们赞不绝口的衣服。跟他来的全体随员也仔细地看了又看,可是他们也没有看出更多的东西。不过,他们也照着皇帝的话说:“啊,真是美极了!”他们建议皇帝用这种新奇的、美丽的布料做成衣服,穿上这衣服亲自去参加快要举行的游行大典。“真美丽!真精致!真是好极了!”每人都随声附和着。每人都有说不出的快乐。皇帝赐给骗子每人一个爵士的头衔和一枚可以挂在纽扣洞上的勋章;并且还封他们为“御聘织师”。


好了,今天我们讲了THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES的三段内容,很有意思吧,大家有时间可以把其余内容也看一下,原版的阅读让我们对安徒生童话又有了不一样的理解,接触外国文化的同时又锻炼了大家的阅读能力,很赞吧!


(文By 朗悦Candy)


发表
26906人 签到看排名